Coaching Model: The Catapult

2012/12/07

A Coaching Model Created by Lynne Elder(Professional Training & Coaching, UNITED KINGDOM)

The CATAPULT Model is the basis for my work with women in business who want to discover their core passion and build a successful business around it so that their work becomes exciting, fun and fulfilling – as well as commercially successful. The work that we do using this model then allows us to develop a powerful Personal Brand for my clients, which is truly reflective of them, their business and speaks clearly to their target market.

The model acts as a guide and systematic approach to the process, with each area of focus building from the previous ones.

So, we start with CORE. This is the key step from which all else is built. What is the client’s true core passion? What is their unique gift that they want to bring to the world? What is the one thing, that if they did it every day, ‘worked it’ every day, they would feel totally resourced, energised and full of life and joy?

ALIGNMENT starts the client thinking about how their internal ‘passions’ are/can be reflected externally. We explore the vital importance to them for making sure this is the case…not only from a business perspective but also, crucially, from a health and wellness perspective. Does how they ‘show up’ in the world truly reflect who they are at their core? Are their behaviours seamlessly co-existing with their internal beliefs. Are there any mismatches and why? What needs to change and how can they achieve total alignment? Is ‘how they are’ the same as ‘who they are’?

TARGET MARKET and APPRECIATION start us exploring their business. Who, specifically, do they want to work with? Who is their customer? What business arena? Business to Business or Business to Consumer? And if B to B, is that corporates, small businesses, not for profits etc? Is it gender specific, or age group focussed? This part of the model really enables us to go in depth into the client’s target audience and come out understanding, in fine detail, exactly who their customer is and their drives, wants, desires, challenges etc.

With this comprehensive understanding of the target market, we are then able to move into the next focus on the model….PRODUCTS & SERVICES. So, again with my client’s core passions in full focus, what products and services does she want to offer…those products & services being of real need and desired by her target market as identified in the previous step in the model.

Next we look at differentiation in the marketplace. How does my client claim her UNIQUE space? This is how she stands apart from her competitors, differentiates her products, attracts her target audience and is able to charge a premium for her products.

We now focus on her promotion and marketing activities, under LET THEM KNOW. Depending upon what my client wants at this stage, we can provide in-depth marketing training/coaching or a fairly top level introduction to marketing. Whatever depth is wanted, the critical focus is that the client understands that marketing and selling are crucial to the success of her venture. This is the takeaway from this stage of the model, rather than a full knowledge of marketing implementation and selling skills.

And finally, we cover off the ongoing necessities of any successful business and brand….CLARITY, CONSISTENCY and COMMITMENT….making sure that the business ‘message’ is clear and understandable, that there is absolute consistency across the board…message, delivery, quality, customer service, marketing, back-office etc. And finally, commitment, because, as all business owners know, successful business owners are totally committed to what they do…so, as long as they stay committed and have conscientiously worked-through the previous steps, then they are well on the way to achieving their business dreams.

My clients love the energy implicit within the name “CATAPULT” and find the model logical in its build and simple to understand. So, although the content is demanding, the process is easy to follow, but powerful and effective in delivery.